Chabad, a Jewish campus organization, sponsored an exhibit of Bus 19, an Israeli bus that was the target of a suicide bomber earlier this year.

On Oct. 15-17, 2004, the Palestine Solidarity Movement (PSM) held its national conference at Duke University, sparking extensive discussion on campus and more widely. The university was criticized by some for agreeing to host the conference and praised by others for promoting free speech. Despite predictions to the contrary, the conference and related events unfolded peacefully. This site examines how the controversy led students and others at Duke to take a closer look at the underlying conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, and at issues such as academic freedom and terrorism.

A house course on 'U.S. Policy and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict' was one response to the announcement of the Palestine Solidarity Movement conference. It puts discussion about the Israeli-Palestine controversy in a historical perspective. Discussions are led by students. University officials are working with student and other campus groups to promote other discussions across campus about the Middle East.

President Richard H. Brodhead told nearly 100 people at the Judea Reform Congregation in Durham that Duke agreed to host the PSM conference because of the university's commitment to free speech and academic freedom. "You should not think the truth is so weak that it needs the power of suppression," he said.
To read more about President Brodhead's views on the conference, click here. Also see his Oct. 1 remarks to the Duke University Board of Trustees and his Oct. 21 remarks to the Academic Council.

The PSM conference attracted national and international attention, with coverage in such news outlets as the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Jerusalem Post, al-Jazeera television and the New York Sun. University officials also received hundreds of letters, both for and against the conference. This is a sampling of the ongoing discussion.

Continue weekend’s discussionsThe Chronicle, Duke’s student newspaper, writes, “Now that the conference has passed, the University faces another challenge: continuing to educate and inform students.”

Lessons learned as conference endsThe News & Observer of Raleigh writes Oct. 18, “A gathering that riled Duke University alumni, tested free speech and cost the school more than $50,000 for security ended Sunday in peace.”

Palestine Solidarity Conference at Duke
WUNC radio reports Oct. 18, “There were protests and threats of violence when Duke University announced it would host the Palestine Solidarity Movement conference. The gathering, and pro-Israel counter events, ended last night without incident.”

Duke's Odysseus
The Herald-Sun of Durham writes that Duke president Richard H. Brodhead's refusal to divest in firms with military ties to Israel "wisely continues a policy that is by no means as simple as it might appear."

Debating at Duke
The News & Observer of Raleigh writes that President Richard H. Brodhead's decision to allow the PSM conference is "in keeping with the principle of fostering free debate."
Editorial Praises Pro-Israeli Campus Response
Duke's student newspaper, the Chronicle, says in an editorial that "the way in which the pro-Israeli groups chose to respond [to the conference] -- recognizing PSM's right to exist and advocating the weekend as an opportunity for education rather than as an opportunity for protest -- is the classiest move possible and should be applauded."Read more Chronicle coverage here.

Duke's correct choice
Columnist Rick Martinez objects to Duke's rationale in deciding to allow some of its students to host the student conference of the Palestine Solidarity Movement. In response, Michael Munger, chairman of Duke's political science department, writes, "I disagree with PSM vehemently. But I defend Duke's decision to sponsor the conference just as vehemently." Read his letter here.